Redemption Roasters is a chain of popular London coffee shops that aims to reduce reoffending rates through coffee. With a roastery inside HMP The Mount and associated personal and professional training programs both within and outside of multiple prisons, it supports prison leavers and people at risk of reoffending with the skills they need to gain secure and meaningful employment.
Alex Faithfull began working for Macquarie Capital in 2020, originally in the Melbourne office, before transferring to London in 2023.
Currently an Investment Banking Associate in the Infrastructure Advisory team, in 2024, he put his hand up to assist when the Foundation’s SII team was looking at making an investment into Redemption Roasters. He became part of a valuable team of individuals from across Macquarie’s operating groups who were volunteering their time and drawing on their expertise to advise on the transaction.
“Our Foundation takes an impact-first approach to investing,” Alex explains. “It examines financial but also social metrics with the aim of investing in businesses and social outcomes.”
Alex already knew the Redemptions Roasters brand but was also interested in Macquarie’s focus on social impact investments that break down systemic barriers to employment.
“One of the Redemption Roasters coffee shops is near the London office,” he says. “They make great coffee but also have a unique business model, so I knew this was a different kind of opportunity to be involved in.”
“They are a social impact business,” Alex explains. “More than 20 per cent of the retail staff are prison leavers, and there’s a high success rate when it comes to reducing reoffending.”
“The reoffending rate for participants employed by Redemption Roasters is three per cent1, compared to the national average of 38 per cent.”
“Reducing reoffending and addressing prison overcrowding is front of mind for the Ministry of Justice in the UK at the moment,” Alex says. “So, working with a business that does this, alongside making great coffee, was a really compelling proposition.”
Alex worked on the transaction for around four months, fitting it flexibly around his usual Macquarie Capital role with the support of his team. It saw him presenting to the Foundation’s SII Advisory Committee, which is comprised of senior Macquarie executives from around the globe, to understand the business from both a commercial and social impact perspective.
The work itself was similar to my day job, advising on M&A and infrastructure investments, but for a very different type of business: a chain of coffee shops.
My role was to assist with valuation and due diligence around the investment, work with the Redemption Roasters team, undertake financial modelling and produce the investment papers.”
Alex Faithfull,
Macquarie Capital,
Macquarie Group
The funding round ended with Macquarie joining Rothschild & Co. Group Foundation and others, who together made an equity investment of A$5.2m, aimed at driving expansion of Redemption Roasters and increasing its impact. The Redemption Roasters footprint is currently a total of 12 shops around London.
(left to right): Alex Harvey, Macquarie Group, Rachel Engel, Macquarie Group Foundation, Xavier Eyraud, Macquarie Group and Max Dubiel, Redemption Roasters.
Macquarie’s support runs beyond its financial investment, with Redemption Roasters recently becoming the in-house coffee provider for the London office café and client floors.
Neil Rodel, Division Director in Macquarie’s Corporate Operations Group, says this is a practical example of the organisation’s broader commitment to supporting social impact initiatives.
The decision to use Redemption Roasters coffee in the office cafe was driven by a desire to align our everyday choices—like the coffee we serve—with our values.”
Neil Rodel
Corporate Operations Group
Macquarie Group
“The response from staff has been overwhelmingly positive, with many not only enjoying the quality of the coffee but also appreciating the powerful story behind it. It’s a simple yet meaningful way to bring purpose into our daily routines.”
Macquarie also provided Redemption Roasters with access to its business expertise. Connections were established with teams from Macquarie’s Commodities and Global Markets franchise, providing them with insights on coffee trade and in-house views on foreign exchange forecasts.
Max Dubiel, one of the founders of Redemption Roasters, says that it has made a tangible difference to its growth and evolution.
“Macquarie’s backing as an anchor investor gave Redemption Roasters a strong vote of confidence at a pivotal moment. They’ve remained an active partner, supporting our mission to reduce reoffending through employment,” Max says.
It’s a great example of an investment that aligns purpose with everyday practice.”
Max Dubiel,
Co-Founder,
Redemption Roasters
Left to right: Rachel Engel, Macquarie Group Foundation, Ted Rosner, Redemption Roasters, Rachel Palmer, Macquarie Group EMEA CEO, and Rosemary Ashworth, Redemption Roasters, celebrating the launch of Redemption Roasters coffee being served in Macquarie’s London office.
Alex believes it is important that Macquarie gives back and supports the local communities it operates in and says he found it satisfying to work on an investment within the business - particularly when it was a local business he knew.
“It’s great that the Foundation has this capital and the ability to make these investments,” he explains. “The social impact aspect is unique, as is the model of enabling staff from across the business to assist with SII activity”.
“I really enjoyed applying my Macquarie skillset to social impact investing and I’d love to be involved again,” he says.
“The Foundation creates meaningful impact and it's a great part of what Macquarie offers everyone.”
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